Friends, we should train in this very way:I will not cling to neither the eye, nor to the ear, nor to the nose,nor to the tongue, nor to the body, nor to the mind...Thus will my consciousness neither depend on awareness of any sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, nor any mental states...Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any visual contact, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, or any mental contact...Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any feeling aroused from all these visual, otherwise sensed or ... mental contacts...Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any form, emotion,perception, construction, or any deliberately directed attention!Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any solidity, fluidity,heat, motion, space, nor on any sort of mentality whatsoever...Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any infinitude of space,any infinitude of consciousness, any sphere of nothingness, any sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor on any other subtle state...Thus will my consciousness neither depend on anything in this world, nor on anything in any other transcendent world beyond this world…Thus will my consciousness be independent of what is seen, heard,sensed, cognized, encountered, searched for & examined by the mind...It will be without base, source, & object, unconnected, unconstrained,unrelated, autonomous, fully freed, sovereign, sublime and supreme…This -only this- itself leads to the released liberation of final freedom!!!

Navam Poya day is the full-moon of February. This holy day celebratesthe ordination of the Buddha Gotama's main disciples Sariputta and MahaMoggallana. On this day Buddha also later decides his Parinibbana.

The death moment of the Buddha, where he enters Nibbana (Sanskrit Nirvana)...!

On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days:Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines in a loud, calm & steady voice:As long as this life lasts: I hereby take refuge in the Buddha. I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.I hereby take refuge in the Sangha. I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!

I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules: I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...

Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to this world! So is the start towards Nibbana: The Deathless Element!This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness, initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and fulfilled by training of Meditation...

Today indeed is Pooya or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha, they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!

Interdependence of Mentality and Materiality; of the dual Name-and-Form:Mentality alone has no efficient power, it cannot eat, drink, speak, nor walk...Materiality alone is also without sufficient power, since it cannot do anything without orders and drive: It has neither desire to eat, drink, speak, nor walk...When materiality and mentality are joined together, these two twins can act: When mentality (mind) has a desire to eat, a desire to drink, a desire to speak, or a desire to walk, it is materiality (body) that eats, drinks, speaks & walks!

Mentality and Materiality, Mind & Matter are Inseparable!

Therefore did the Ancient Elders say:The mental and the material does really exist,But here there is no 'human being' to be found,For it is void and merely fashioned like a doll!Just suffering piled up like grass and sticks...The mental and the material: Name-and-FormAre Siamese Twins, that each supports the other:When one dies, they both die, surely inseparable,Due to the necessary mutual dependence... They cannot come to be by their own strength,Or even maintain themselves by their own powerDepending on other states, weak in themselves, Conditioned and constructed, they come to be;They come to be, with others as crucial requirement.They are activated by others as if their controller,They are thus produced by object and condition,And each by something other, than itself...And just as men depend uponA boat for traversing the sea,So does the mental mind need the material body for real efficiency.And as the boat depends uponThe men for traversing the sea,So does the material body need the mental mind for induction & control.Depending each upon the other.The boat and men can sail the seas.And so do both mind and matter Depend, the one, upon the other...Vism 597

There are two principal kinds of mental development: 1: Development of mental tranquillity and calm (samatha-bhavana)culminating in the development of concentration (samadhi-bhavana)And! 2: Development of insight (vipassana-bhavana) culminating in thedevelopment of understanding (pañña-bhavana).Both qualities: Calm and Insight, are essential & crucial for release!Tranquil Calm (samatha) is the pleasant, peaceful, yet lucid state ofa settled mind acquired as a preliminary to meditative absorption.It blesses the meditator with 3 things: Happy life, happy rebirth, &a mental purity suitable for gaining progressive penetrating insight!Concentration is a necessary prerequisite for such cutting insight..Why so? It removes distractions that veil the investigating vision!Insight is that which leads to entrance of the 4 stages of Nobility..Why so? It irreversibly removes gross & latent mental hindrances!The term samadhi literally means ~being firmly put evenly together (sam + a+ dha) & is mental state focused on only one single object=cittassaekaggata, which literally means ~ one-pointedness of mind.Any state of consciousness has a degree of mental concentration!One may distinguish these four stages or levels of concentration:1: Momentary or transient concentration (khanika-samadhi),2: Preliminary or preparing concentration (parikamma-samadhi),3: Access or approaching concentration (upacara-samadhi),4: Absorption or attainment concentration (appana-samadhi).Insight (vipassana) is the penetrative understanding, gained by onlydirect meditative experience of the inherent transience, misery, &selflessness (anicca, dukkha, anatta) of all physical & mental statesof existence all included in these 5 clusters (khandha) of clinging:form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness.Bhavana is derived from the causative form of the verbal root bhu, bhavati = to be, to become, causing to be, making come into being,the calling into existence of, the production of or development of.When applied to Mental Training this simply means Meditation...

The Blessed Buddha once said:And what, Bhikkhus, is the Joy not of this world? Aloof and above any lust, quite secluded from any sense desire, protected from any disadvantageous mental state, one enters & dwells in the 1st jhana mental absorption; full of joy & pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed & sustained thought...With the stilling of directed & sustained thought, one later enters & dwells in the 2nd jhana of calmed assurance & unification of mind devoid of any thought & thinking, joined with joy & pleasure now born of concentration! These are called the joys not of this world! And what, Bhikkhus, is the joy beyond that joy, which is not of this world? When a bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his mind liberated from lust, freed from hatred, and released from confusion, there arises a transcendental joy. This is called Joy quite beyond that joy, that is not of this world...

The Awareness Link to Awakening is foremost, in the sense of rolling overall like a wheel.The Investigation Link to Awakening is the chief, in the sense of greatness like an elephant.The Energy Link to Awakening is the prime, in the sense of being swift & strong like a horse.The Joy Link to Awakening is vital, in the sense of giving brilliant radiance like a jewel.The Tranquillity Link to Awakening, is primary in the sense of soothing like a mild woman.The Concentration Link to Awakening, is best in the sense of giving wealth like a treasurer.The Equanimity Link to Awakening is supreme, in the sense of ballance like a good advisor.These seven links to awakening are thus like the 7 treasures of a wheel-turning monarch.They awaken beings into the state of entering the stream leading to the deathless Nibbana.They further awaken beings into the state of returning here as human only one more time.They furthermore awaken beings into the state of never returning here as human again.They finally fully awaken beings into the state of Arahatship by complete Enlightenment!When these seven states coincide simultaneously; fused into the same assemblage; all beingjoined focused on only one single and same object: Nibbana, then Awakening occurs...This 7-fold supreme culmination is the final Enlightenment!!! Yeah...

At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this:Bhikkhus, for any clansman who has gone forth out of faith in my teaching, to do this, is in perfect accordance with the supreme Dhamma: He should dwell contemplating the impermanence inherent in any form...He should dwell contemplating the suffering inherent in any form...He should dwell contemplating the impersonality inherent in any form...He should dwell absorbed in disgusting any form, in disgusting any feeling,in disgusting any perception, in disgusting any construction, & in disgusting any form of consciousness! One who dwells immersed in revulsion towards any form, revulsion towards any feeling, revulsion towards any perception, revulsion towards any mental construction, and revulsion towards any kind of consciousness fully understands all form, all feeling, all perception, allmental construction, and all states of consciousness! One who fully understands form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness is freed from form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness! I tell you: He is even freed from birth, ageing, & death!Freed from all sorrow, weeping, pain, discontent, and desperate despair! I tell you: He is freed from all Suffering...

The Buddha said about BLAME:This, Atula, is an ancient saying, yet timeless and thus relevant even today: They blame the one, who talks much. They blame the one, who says little. They even blame the silent one... No one in this world is never blamed!Dhammapada 227

FACTThere never was, nor will there ever be, nor does there exist one now,who is only praised or only blamed ....Dhammapada 228

PRAISEDThe one examined carefully by the wise, yet still praised as peerless, wise, learned and genuinely good, like a ring of refined gold, who canever rightly blame such one? Even the divine and Brahma praise such one!Dhammapada 229-30

Comments: The Buddha once asked his students, "And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech." -SN 45.8

He also taught: "Monks, a statement endowed with five factors is well-spoken, not ill-spoken. It is blameless & faultless by knowledgeable people. Which five? It is spoken at the right time. It is truth. It is kind. It is advantageous. And it is spoken with a mind of good-will." -AN 5.198

In addition to right speech, the Exalted Master taught us to develop other skilful qualities of intention, thoughts, words, and actions, in order to become peerless, wise, learned, good, blameless, and praised. These are right view, right motivation, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration. Practicing in this way, we not only acquire peace for ourselves, through admiration, we also improve society, and our reputation...

Other skilful qualities we can develop are present moment awareness, conviction, persistence, understanding, and analysis as well as kind metta, compassion, truly altruistic joy, equanimity, generosity, virtue, and patience. The development, prolonging and maintenance of these skilful states of mind not only benefit ourselves, they expand outward, like sweet rings in water!

Friends, the first consideration is:Whatever Suffering arises, all this Suffering does so caused by Feeling!Another consequent consideration is:By ending all Feeling, there cannot therefore ever arise any Suffering!

Repeatedly seeing both pleasant, painful & neutral feeling all fade away,and instantly vanish in each moment, one is freed for passion for feeling!By quenching craving for feeling one becomes all cool & quite calmed...Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this life,or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...Those who neglect understanding Feeling, the origin of Feeling, the End of Feeling, & how Feeling is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thusincapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death ever again... While those who undertake understanding of Feeling, Origin, End & Way, are quite capable of mental release by understanding, & capable of making an end... They are near the deathless dimension!

If friendship between animal beings can cross even remote species borders, so can and should we humans also make our kind friendship extend beyond any national, religious, cultural, gender, educational, job, and age border!Only in this very good way, can we establish a society, where we can sleepwith the doors open, and dance with the children in our arms. So be it

May all creatures, all breathing things,all beings one and all, without exception,experience good fortune only.May they not fall into any harm.Anguttara Nikaya II, 72

With good will for the entire cosmos,cultivate a limitless heart & mind:Beaming above, below, & all around,unobstructed, without trace of hostility.Sutta Nipata I, 8

For one who deliberately & awaredevelops Universal FriendlinessSeeing the fading away of clinging,All chains are worn down & broken. Itivuttaka 27

Let no one deceive anotheror despise anyone anywhere,or through anger or irritationwish for another to suffer. Sutta Nipata I, 8

I am a friend of the footless,I am a friend of all bipeds;I am a friend of those with four feet,I am a friend of the many-footed!Anguttara Nikaya 4.67

As I am, so are others...As others are, so am I...Having thus identified self and others,Never Harm anyone, nor have any abused.Sutta Nipata 3.710

Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived in the jungle. No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone.Uplifted by such universal friendliness, I enjoyed the forest.Finding great solace in such sweetly silenced solitude…Suvanna-sama Jataka 540

Train yourself in doing goodthat lasts and brings happiness.Cultivate generosity, the life of peace, and a mind of infinite universal love.Itivuttaka 22

The 9th mental Perfection is Friendliness (Metta):Just as water refreshes and cleanses both just and unjust persons without discrimination, so does the perfection of friendliness include both friends and foes alike, and doesn't enact any distinction, favouritism, or partiality.

Karuna is feeling the pain of other beings, either partially or completely;

Possible translations:1: Pity not from above: “I am better”, but as if in the other being’s shoes…2: Compassion is OK, but that is difficult to reach up to for many beings…3: Fellow feeling, sympathy, empathy, understanding are all OK, but somewhat missing these essential points:

A: It is an inability to see and accept other being’s suffering and distress!B: It is a deep desire to make others feel free, glad, happy and peaceful!C: It is extended to and pervaded over many beings simultaneously…

The proximate cause of Karuna = pity is noticing other being’s helplessness.The immediate effect of Karuna = pity is evaporation of all evil cruelty!

Sitting cross-legged, with straight back, elevated chin, in a silent place, the yogi remains focusing all attention on the touch point of air in his nostrils:

Fully aware one inhales and fully aware one exhales...When inhaling a long breath, one notices that...When exhaling a long breath, one notices that...When inhaling a short breath, one notices that...When exhaling a short breath, one notices that...Experiencing the whole body, one inhales...Experiencing the whole body, one exhales...Calming all bodily activity, one inhales...Calming all bodily activity, one exhales...

One trains thus: Experiencing joyous rapture, I will inhale...One trains thus: Experiencing joyous rapture, I will exhale...One trains thus: Experiencing a happy pleasure, I will inhale...One trains thus: Experiencing a happy pleasure, I will exhale...One trains thus: Experiencing all mental activity, I will inhale...One trains thus: Experiencing all mental activity, I will exhale...One trains thus: Calming all mental activity, I will inhale...One trains thus: Calming all mental activity, I will exhale...

One trains thus: Experiencing all mentality as mood, I will inhale...One trains thus: Experiencing all mentality as mood, I will exhale...One trains thus: Satisfying and gladdening the mind, I will inhale...One trains thus: Satisfying and gladdening the mind, I will exhale...One trains thus: Focusing the mind by concentration, I will inhale...One trains thus: Focusing the mind by concentration, I will exhale...One trains thus: Releasing the mind from hindrance, I will inhale...One trains thus: Releasing the mind from hindrance, I will exhale...

One trains thus: Considering the impermanence of change, I will inhale...One trains thus: Considering the impermanence of change, I will exhale...One trains thus: Considering the detachment in disillusion, I will inhale...One trains thus: Considering the detachment in disillusion, I will exhale...One trains thus: Considering the stilling within cessation, I will inhale...One trains thus: Considering the stilling within cessation, I will exhale...One trains thus: Considering open and freed relinquishing, I will inhale...One trains thus: Considering open and freed relinquishing, I will exhale...

This is how continuous Awareness is established just by breathing!!!Breathing meditation can bring the yogi into 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Jhana...It is a unique praxis used by all Buddhas at their very Enlightenment!!!

The Blessed Buddha once said:Bhikkhus, this sweet concentration by Awareness by Breathing, when it is developed and cultivated, is peaceful and sublime, an ambrosial pleasant dwelling in itself, and it disperses and quells right on the very spot all evil detrimental mental states, whenever and wherever they arise...!Exactly as in a hot summer month, when a cloud of dust and dirt has been swirled up, then a sudden great & heavy rainfall makes it vanish by quelling it on the spot, so too does this concentration by Awareness by Breathing, when developed and cultivated often, and which is peaceful and sublime, an ambrosial pleasant dwelling in itself, disperse, scatter, evaporate and quell right on the spot all evil & disadvantageous mental states whenever & wherever they arise. And how is this so? Bhikkhus, when one have gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, there & then one sits down cross-legged, having straightened one's body and back, & set up awareness around the nostrils, then just plainly aware of only that breathing itself one breathes in, and just solely aware of only that verybreathing itself one breathes out... Feeling only the touch of air passing!Breathing in long, one knows, notes and understands: I inhale long!Breathing out long, one knows, notes and understands: I exhale long! ... ... ... (steps 2-15) ... ... ...One trains thus: Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe in!One trains thus: Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe out!It is in exactly this way, Friends & Bhikkhus, that this fine concentration by Awareness by Breathing is developed & cultivated so that it indeed is peaceful and sublime, an ambrosial pleasant dwelling in itself! And it is in this way that it disperses and quells on the spot all evil detrimental states whenever and wherever they arise!

A wandering friend once asked the Great Disciple:Friend Sariputta, Nibbana, Nibbana is it said! What is this Nibbana?The destruction of Greed, the destruction of Hate, and the destruction of Ignorance! This, friend, is called Nibbana …But, friend, is there a method, is there a way to reach this Nibbana?There is indeed a method, friend, there is indeed a way to reach Nibbana!What, friend, is then this method, what is then that way to reach Nibbana?It is, friend, simply the completion of this Noble 8-fold Way, namely:

This is undeniably the very method, friend, the only way to reach Nibbana!Oh excellent is this unique method, exquisite is this way to reach Nibbana!This –in itself- is enough for me, friend Sariputta, to begin the endeavour!

He possesses unwavering faith in the Buddha thus: The Blessed One is Worthy, & Perfectly Self-Enlightened, completed in knowledge and behaviour, happily transcended, sublime, expert in all dimensions, knower of allworlds, unsurpassable trainer of those beings who can be tamed, teacher and guide of both gods and men, an enlightened, exalted and a blessed One!

He possesses unwavering faith in the Dhamma thus: Perfectly formulated by the Blessed One is the Dhamma, obviously seen right here and now, instantly effective, timeless, inviting anyone to come and see, investigate and verify for themselves, leading through gradual progress to perfected freedom, directly observable, experiencable and realizable by each intelligence!

He possesses unwavering faith in the Noble Sangha Community of Disciples thus:Perfectly training is the Blessed One’s Order of Noble Disciples, the right way, the good way, the true way, the direct way. The Blessed One’s Sangha of Disciples i.e. the four Noble pairs, the eight sorts of individuals are therefore worthy of gifts, of hospitality, of self-sacrifice, worthy of respectful salutation with joined palms, since they embody the most supreme field for gaining merit in this world!

Unwavering Faith in the 3 Jewels is the Key that opens the doors to Nibbana

Once when the Venerable Anuruddha was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park, a number of Bhikkhus went to the Venerable Anuruddha and exchanged polite greetings with him. Then they sat down and asked the Ven. Anuruddha: Venerable Sir: What has the Venerable Anuruddha developed and cultivated so that he has attained to his famous greatness of direct knowledge?He answered: It is, friends, because I have developed and cultivated these four Foundations of Awareness that I have won great direct knowledge. What four? Here, friends, I dwell constantly contemplating upon:1: The body only as a frame of transient form, neither as I, me, mine, nor a self... 2: The feelings only as passing sense reactions, neither as I, me, mine, nor a self...3: The mind only as habitual & transient moods, neither as I, me, mine, nor any self...4: All phenomena only as momentary mental states, not as any real static existents...while eager, clearly comprehending, and acutely aware, by that removing all desire and therefore also all frustration rooted in this world! It is thus, friends, because I have developed and cultivated these Four Foundations of Awareness, that I have attained to greatness of direct knowledge. Furthermore, friends, it is indeed, because I have developed and completely refined these 4 Foundations of Awareness, that I clearly &easily can remember all the historical details of a Thousand Aeons... !!!

Comments:In Buddhist cosmology an Aeon (kappa) means a universal cycle, where space first expands, then stands almost still, then contracts and lastly implodes usually caused by extreme heat. This is said to happen, when 7 suns, due to the contraction of space, have come so close, that they can be seen from earth. All the oceans will have evaporated, when 5 suns can be seen!It is worth noting that this non-steady-state model of the universe described in detail by theBuddha ~ 2500 years ago, first was "rediscovered" in the 1920ties as the Big Bang theory,based on measurements using telescopes and spectrometers not available to the Buddha...!

By knowing that:Mutual Joy is the proximate cause of sweet, fully satisfied contentment!Lack of mutual joy is therefore the proximate cause of discontentment!Mutual Joy instantly eliminates acidic jealousy, grudge and green envy!Mutual Joy is an infinite, truly divine, elevating and sublime mental state!Mutual Joy is 1 of the 4 mental states of the Brahma-devas (Brahmavihara)

The Blessed Buddha pointed out: If it were impossible to cultivate this Good, I would not tell you to do so!

Buddhaghosa:See how this worthy being is very Happy!How fine! How excellent! How sweet!

Let there be Happiness. Let there be open Freedom.Let there be Peace. Let there be Bliss from cultivating this.Let there be Understanding of this mental state of Mutual Joy!

Ageing is suffering: And what is ageing? Whatever decay, decrepitude, broken teeth, greying of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of strength, weakening of the mental abilities, feebleness, and senility of whatever kind of being, that is called aging. Its function is to lead on to death! It is manifested as the vanishing of youth. It is suffering because of the change into decay and the gradual, but steadily falling apart of the body.The loss of memory and intelligence in senile dementia is also distressing.

With leadenness in every limb, With every ability declining,With vanishing of youthfulness,With memory all evaporated,With intelligence eroded away,With strength now drained,With growing unattractivenessNow looking and smelling badTo both wife, friends and family:This is the unavoidable miseryAny mortal must expect to find!Since ageing all of this will bring,Ageing is well named suffering.Vism 502 + MN 141

The Blessed Buddha once insisted:The nature of Ageing and Death has to be Understood. The Cause of Ageing and Death has to be Understood.The End of Ageing and Death has to be Understood.The Way to End Ageing and Death has to be Understood.

The nature of Birth has to be Understood. The Cause of Birth has to be Understood.The End of Birth has to be Understood.The Way to End Birth has to be Understood.

The nature of Clinging has to be Understood. The Cause of Clinging has to be Understood.The End of Clinging has to be Understood.The Way to End Clinging has to be Understood.

The nature of Craving has to be Understood. The Cause of Craving has to be Understood.The End of Craving has to be Understood.The Way to End Craving has to be Understood.

The nature of Feeling has to be Understood. The Cause of Feeling has to be Understood.The End of Feeling has to be Understood.The Way to End Feeling has to be Understood.

The nature of Contact has to be Understood. The Cause of Contact has to be Understood.The End of Contact has to be Understood.The Way to End Contact has to be Understood.

The nature of the 6 Senses has to be Understood. The Cause of the 6 Senses has to be Understood.The End of the 6 Senses has to be Understood.The Way to End the 6 Senses has to be Understood.

The nature of Name-and-Form has to be Understood. The Cause of Name-and-Form has to be Understood.The End of Name-and-Form has to be Understood.The Way to End Name-and-Form has to be Understood.

The nature of Consciousness has to be Understood. The Cause of Consciousness has to be Understood.The End of Consciousness has to be Understood.The Way to End Consciousness has to be Understood.

The nature of Mental Construction has to be Understood. The Cause of Mental Construction has to be Understood.The End of Mental Construction has to be Understood.The Way to End Mental Construction has to be Understood.

The nature of Ignorance has to be Understood. The Cause of Ignorance has to be Understood.The End of Ignorance has to be Understood.The Way to End Ignorance has to be Understood.